The Encrypted Escape of Excerise
Good evening my lovely readers,
I hope this blog post finds you well and warm on this cold December night. I'm going to talk to you about an escape of mine this week but first some happy highlights.
Last weekend was really lovely as I went to the theatre on Friday evening with my friend Jess (who also has a blog, check her out here http://jesslouisekeen.blogspot.co.uk ) to see Cinderella the ballet. It was a really different evenings entertainment and something I'd never experienced before so it reminded me how wonderful trying new things can be. Also we had booked this back in August so showed how lovely it can be to make plans and have something to look forward to, which is something I really enjoy in life.
On Sunday I went to a Christmas Market with some of my flatmates and this was day which got me thoroughly in the festive mood as you couldn't not be with the sound of carols, sight of reindeer and hustle and bustle of it all. On a simple level it was just special to spend time with friends as this always makes me happy but the Christmas element just amped it to another level and the evening was nicely rounded off with the classic film that is Love Actually.
So after those highlights we come to the 'observation' that I would like to share with you this week which is that exercise is quickly becoming my secret escape.
This process of excercise's prominence in my life has been a slow one and not one that I have been desirous to acknowledge. I have always been a girl that has found positives in the way sport can be used recreationally for the banter of rounders or football in P.E at school but have never taken it seriously or pondered the benefits it could have. Especially since it was only when I was younger and actually had a chance of winning things like the 100m that I ever put any effort or competitive edge into my performance (worrying netball tackles aside). I was more the perpetual joiner than anyone who actually saw things through.
However I have recently, within the past year or so, whilst at uni and having no forced exercise discovered how freeing sport can be. This does not mean I have had a complete role reversal and become someone obsessed with my fitness levels and enjoying dragging myself out of bed to the gym but I have a new appreciation for exercise.
I think this has hit me more today because- due to travelling and assessments- it has been hard for me to get into a regular routine of exercising but now I've got that back I can see how much I've missed how it makes me feel.
I got a membership for my uni gym last year as a way of blackmailing myself to go and get fit because I was paying for it and thus felt I should go and it surprisingly worked. I didn't enjoy it in the beginning and the aches and effort meant I felt like it wasn't for me but slowly I came to see the effect it was having on me. I was becoming happier, less stressed and more alert. This didn't make any sense.
I had never believed the whole 'exercise makes you feel better/good' argument that people had thrown at me as a reason to do sport but i had to reluctantly admit its truth as it kept me grounded throughout assessment writing and healthier too. The encrypted escape of exercise was just waiting to be unlocked. As someone who suffers from anxiety and mental-health issues exercise was a great escape from what was going on in life as you could just get stuck in and forget about the rest of the world. Like the non-literary equivalent of reading!
This transcendent quality of exercise has been a blessing of late when I have wanted nothing more than just to stop thinking as attending a Pilates class or going swimming gives me something else to focus on for a little while. I can find a similar escape in writing but that is more a delving to me and a looking inward which escapes the thoughts on to a page and out of your head but it needs to be combined for me with the transcendent escape of exercise to truly be an escape and challenge my emotions effectively.
When you can feel the blood pumping in your ears and you feel so alive this is amazing and however much I complain about the effort of walking to the sports centre I know it will in the end be worth it for the rush it brings and the empowering peace that accompanies it 9 times out of 10. I also love the community it brings with teams such as English Society netball and attending fitness classes with friends.
I think the true beauty of this escape is its accessibility as you can be as uncoordinated as me and there will be some form of exercise that you can enjoy as it functions on all levels and you can do as much or as little as you want to.It's not a magic quick fix but eventually by putting in that effort it pays off. I'd really recommend you give it a go and see if it provides the benefits it has done for me, you never know you might even enjoy it!
I don't enjoy exercise all the time and will never be amazing at it but I do just want to highlight how it functions for me in such a positive way that I'm really glad I have the opportunities that I do to undertake it.
What do you use in your life as an escape? What do you find more effective books or exercise? Or like me is it a combination of both?
Much love and figurative hugs,
Megan xx
P.S Have some more tunes as I have revisited some quality bands this week.
New Perspecitive by Panic! At The Disco
Underdog by Kasabian
I hope this blog post finds you well and warm on this cold December night. I'm going to talk to you about an escape of mine this week but first some happy highlights.
 |
| This is one of my inspirations when it feels like nothing else is working to make me feel better. It's nice to have options. |
Last weekend was really lovely as I went to the theatre on Friday evening with my friend Jess (who also has a blog, check her out here http://jesslouisekeen.blogspot.co.uk ) to see Cinderella the ballet. It was a really different evenings entertainment and something I'd never experienced before so it reminded me how wonderful trying new things can be. Also we had booked this back in August so showed how lovely it can be to make plans and have something to look forward to, which is something I really enjoy in life.
 |
| Me and Jess in the Lyceum theatre waiting for the ballet to start. |
 |
| Love these girls lots. They really do enrich my life beyond belief! |
So after those highlights we come to the 'observation' that I would like to share with you this week which is that exercise is quickly becoming my secret escape.
This process of excercise's prominence in my life has been a slow one and not one that I have been desirous to acknowledge. I have always been a girl that has found positives in the way sport can be used recreationally for the banter of rounders or football in P.E at school but have never taken it seriously or pondered the benefits it could have. Especially since it was only when I was younger and actually had a chance of winning things like the 100m that I ever put any effort or competitive edge into my performance (worrying netball tackles aside). I was more the perpetual joiner than anyone who actually saw things through.
However I have recently, within the past year or so, whilst at uni and having no forced exercise discovered how freeing sport can be. This does not mean I have had a complete role reversal and become someone obsessed with my fitness levels and enjoying dragging myself out of bed to the gym but I have a new appreciation for exercise.
I think this has hit me more today because- due to travelling and assessments- it has been hard for me to get into a regular routine of exercising but now I've got that back I can see how much I've missed how it makes me feel.
I got a membership for my uni gym last year as a way of blackmailing myself to go and get fit because I was paying for it and thus felt I should go and it surprisingly worked. I didn't enjoy it in the beginning and the aches and effort meant I felt like it wasn't for me but slowly I came to see the effect it was having on me. I was becoming happier, less stressed and more alert. This didn't make any sense.
I had never believed the whole 'exercise makes you feel better/good' argument that people had thrown at me as a reason to do sport but i had to reluctantly admit its truth as it kept me grounded throughout assessment writing and healthier too. The encrypted escape of exercise was just waiting to be unlocked. As someone who suffers from anxiety and mental-health issues exercise was a great escape from what was going on in life as you could just get stuck in and forget about the rest of the world. Like the non-literary equivalent of reading!
This transcendent quality of exercise has been a blessing of late when I have wanted nothing more than just to stop thinking as attending a Pilates class or going swimming gives me something else to focus on for a little while. I can find a similar escape in writing but that is more a delving to me and a looking inward which escapes the thoughts on to a page and out of your head but it needs to be combined for me with the transcendent escape of exercise to truly be an escape and challenge my emotions effectively.
When you can feel the blood pumping in your ears and you feel so alive this is amazing and however much I complain about the effort of walking to the sports centre I know it will in the end be worth it for the rush it brings and the empowering peace that accompanies it 9 times out of 10. I also love the community it brings with teams such as English Society netball and attending fitness classes with friends.
I think the true beauty of this escape is its accessibility as you can be as uncoordinated as me and there will be some form of exercise that you can enjoy as it functions on all levels and you can do as much or as little as you want to.It's not a magic quick fix but eventually by putting in that effort it pays off. I'd really recommend you give it a go and see if it provides the benefits it has done for me, you never know you might even enjoy it!
I don't enjoy exercise all the time and will never be amazing at it but I do just want to highlight how it functions for me in such a positive way that I'm really glad I have the opportunities that I do to undertake it.
What do you use in your life as an escape? What do you find more effective books or exercise? Or like me is it a combination of both?
Much love and figurative hugs,
Megan xx
P.S Have some more tunes as I have revisited some quality bands this week.
New Perspecitive by Panic! At The Disco
Underdog by Kasabian
I have found that exercise is also a massive relief. There's this thing called 'Mindfulness' (you probs have heard of it) The idea is that if you pay more attention to yourself physically it can clear your mind. Understanding yourself on a physical level (through exercise, yoga etc.) can lead to a better and more simple understanding of emotions. Sounds a bit hippie, but I've found it's totally true!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who finds the mental benefits in exercise! I can definitely see what you mean and even if it's a bit hippish it doesn't mean it's not true for some of us.
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